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Lancashire Telegraph newsman’s marathon effort for Sophie charity

A LANCASHIRE Telegraph reporter is set to run this weekend’s Liverpool Half-Marathon to raise money for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

Chris Adams, 25, will tackle the 13.1 mile course on Sunday after two months of training, and has already received more than £100 in donations. He said he chose the Haslingden-based charity, set up in memory of the former Haslingden High student, after writing several stories about the work it does visiting schools and educating youngsters about hate crime.

He said: “Sophie was murdered in 2007 simply because she dressed differently.

“I wear my Sophie wristband eveywhere I go and people are always shocked when I tell them the story behind it.

“It was a barbaric, shameful and totally unnecessary crime.

“Through my job, I often cover the admirable work done by Sophie’s mum, Sylvia, and Kate Conboy-Greenwood at the charity. They depend solely on donations and the work they do teach young people about the evils of bullying and prejudice is absolutely crucial in preventing such a tragedy happening again.”